Description: (Taken directly from the application). Work during the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)antagonist, alpha helical CRF, has releasing factor (CRF) antagonist, alpha helical CRF, has provided has a role in behavioral responses to stress that is independent of its role in behavioral responses to stress that is independent of its role intracerebroventricularly (ICV) reverses the behavioral suppression intracerebroventricularly (ICV) reverses the behavioral suppression stress, and the behavioral suppression associated with the non-physical stress and the behavioral suppression associated with the non-physical ICV antagonist appears to be independent of the nature of the stressor and of ICV antagonist appears to be independent of the nature of the stressor The antagonist injected intracerebroventricularly reverses a number of stressor. The antagonist injected intracerebroventricularly reverses a maze, stress-induced decreases in food intake, increases in stress-induced elevated plus maze stress-induced decreases in food intake increases in the CRF antagonist have identified the central nucleus of the amygdala and intracerebral injection of the CRF antagonist have identified the the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as specific brain sites involved paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the bed nucleus of the potent and longer acting CRF antagonist, CRF 12-431, has been identified. actions of the CRF antagonist. In addition a more potent and longer identifying the specific brain sites responsible for the anti-stress present proposal is to extend these observations by identifying the brain sites may be involved in different behavioral responses to either antagonists. The hypothesis under test is that different brain sites may the basal forebrain (amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), the physical stressors. The focus will be on brain sites of the basal (physical) and social defeat (non-physical) stressors. Dependent measures hypothalamus and the locus coeruleus of the pons in the context of swim on the elevated plus maze and decreases in food intake) and stress-induced measures will focus on stress induced suppression of behavior (decreased will be directed at testing the hypothesis that brain CRF is involved in stress-induced increases in behavior (fear potentiated startle). In including cocaine, opiates, nicotine and benzodiazepines. Finally, CRF is involved in the stress response associated with withdrawal from duration of action for the anti-stress actions of new CRF antagonists and Finally significant effort will be directed at exploring the efficacy, with a focus on testing the hypothesis of potential CRF receptor subtypes. antagonists and at testing functional deficits of transgenic CRF for our understanding of the role of CRF in behavioral responses to stress potential CRF receptor subtypes. The results generated from these including anxiety and drug abuse. role of CRF in behavioral responses to stress and may provide insight into the role of the brain CRF in psychopathology including anxiety and drug abuse.